internet sparkles

If you've been active on Tumblr in the last month, then you know all about Tumblr’s foray into the business world on the first of April.

Tumblr’s new industry-running software, titled “Executive Suite 2016”, had a good run. But fortunately and unfortunately, it was just an April Fool’s Day prank.

Many social media websites have gotten into the fun on April Fool’s Day over the past few years, but YouTube has, thus far, taken the cake. In 2013, YouTube pranked viewers and uploaders, saying that YouTube was a competition website dedicated to finding the best video ever, and they would not be allowing any more “submissions”. In 2008, YouTube set up their main screen so that any video you clicked on would take you to the music video for Rick Astley’s “Never Gonna Give You Up”, and very effectively “rickrolling” everyone who visited their site.

But Tumblr has been catching up to YouTube. In 2014, Tumblr released TumblrPro Free, which was advertised to bring your Tumblr to a whole new level. The user would click a button on their home page, which would direct them to a video that would inspirationally advertise this new program. And when the user went back to their home page, the user noticed the big change: their icon had a top hat.

This year, Tumblr went above and beyond. Featuring a copy machine called Coppy, Tumblr’s ExecutiveSuite 2016 was advertised to increase productivity, which is something the website is notorious for decreasing. The ExecutiveSuite page had a notebook, an old-timey word processor, a calculator, and quite a few other things that one could find in an office. Coppy, the animated copy machine, appeared in the bottom right hand corner to encourage you, answer questions, and help you “start your business”!

The icing on the cake: Your URL was changed to a business name. Example: InternetSparkles Incorporated.

Here are some pictures of Executive Suite 2016!

Personally, it was a bit annoying. Coppy was constantly harassing me about productivity and making a business, all the posting icons were different, and even the cursor was changed. However, looking back on it, the prank was hilarious and good-natured.